Religious Services

Most ships provide nondenominational religious services on Sundays and religious holidays, and a number offer daily Catholic masses and Friday-evening Jewish services. The kind of service held depends upon the clergy the cruise line invites on board. Religious services are usually held in the library, the theater, or one of the private lounges, although a few ships have actual chapels.

Communications

Most ships provide nondenominational religious services on Sundays and religious holidays, and a number offer daily Catholic masses and Friday-evening Jewish services. The kind of service held depends upon the clergy the cruise line invites on board. Religious services are usually held in the library, the theater, or one of the private lounges, although a few ships have actual chapels.

Photography

The staff photographer, a near-universal fixture on cruise ships, records every memorable, photogenic moment. The thousands of photos snapped over the course of a cruise are displayed publicly in special cases every morning and are offered for sale. If you want a special photo or a portrait, the photographer is usually happy to oblige.

Many passengers choose to have a formal portrait taken before the captain's farewell dinner -- the dressiest evening of the cruise. The ship's photographer usually anticipates this demand by setting up a portable studio near the dining-room entrance.

If you're more of a do-it-yourselfer and would rather spring for the convenience of seeing your own shots right away, many cruise ships have color-film processing and printing equipment to develop film overnight.

Laundry

All but the smallest ships and shortest cruises offer laundry services -- full-service, self-service, or both. Use of machines is generally free, although some ships charge for detergent, use of the machines, or both. Valet laundry service includes cabin pickup and delivery and usually takes 24 hours. Most ships also offer dry-cleaning services.

Room Services

A small number of ships have no room service at all, except when the ship's doctor orders it for an ailing passenger. Many offer only breakfast (Continental on some, full on others), while others provide no more than a limited menu at certain hours of the day. Most, however, have certain selections that you can order at any time. Some luxury ships have unlimited round-the-clock room service. There usually is no charge for room service, other than for beer, wine, or spirits.

An increasing number of ships equip their more expensive cabins with small refrigerators or minibars stocked with snacks, soft drinks, and liquors, which may or may not be free.